Afghanistan

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News about Afghanistan, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Late Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar spent final years of his life in remarkable obscurity; only handful of high-ranking Taliban had any access to him, and his death was confirmed only by chatter among senior Taliban leaders. MORE

Jul. 31, 2015

Afghan government announces that Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar died in 2013 in Pakistani hospital. MORE

Jul. 31, 2015

Death of Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar raises difficult questions for the insurgency, including whether anyone has enough support to keep it from splintering irrevocably. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Afghan officials confirm that reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar died in a Pakistani hospital in 2013; news is greeted with reticence by American officials, though they concede its credibility; death of unifying figure is likely to cast shadow over peace process between Afghan government and Taliban, and could lead to power struggle and division within group's ranks. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Taliban take territory across three provinces in northern Afghanistan, as government tries to support isolated outposts; more than 100 police in north surrender and more than thousands men retreat. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Afghan government officials and Taliban representatives will meet for second round of peace talks in Pakistan, raising hopes two sides will soon end Afghanistan conflict. MORE

Jul. 28, 2015

Gunmen, reportedly sent by Afghan commander Juma Khan Ayub in connection with a local dispute, fire on wedding party in northern part of country killing at least 20 people. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Jul. 23, 2015

Statistics provided by American military show that casualty rate in 2015 among Afghan security forces in fight against Taliban is up more than 50 percent compared to similar period in 2014, with 4,100 Afghan soldiers and police officers killed; interviews with Afghan military officials reveal that fight has become precarious stalemate, which has put pressure on Pres Ashraf Ghani's government and could affect whether Pres Obama follows through on complete withdrawal of troops. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

Jul. 21, 2015

American Helicopters mistakenly attack Afghan Army outpost in Logar Province, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding five. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

American military has expanded airstrikes in Afghanistan, including new campaign against Islamic State; intensification of strikes by drones and warplanes comes six months after Pres Obama's declaration that combat mission in country had ended. MORE

Jul. 15, 2015

Profile of Farkhunda Shahab, one of only five female therapists in the Afghan province of Kapisa; Shahab is at forefront of effort to improve mental health in war-torn region, caring for dozens of patients including abused women and children mourning the death of their parents; Shahab has persisted in her work despite challenges of personal poverty, malnourished children and an opium-addicted husband. MORE

Jul. 13, 2015

Suicide car bomb attack kills 25 people and wounds 15 outside Camp Chapman, United States military base in southeastern Afghanistan; Taliban asserts responsibility for attack; same base was sight of suicide bombing in 2009 that killed seven Central Intelligence Agency operatives. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Afghan officials say Hafiz Saeed Khan, senior militant leading Afghanistan and Pakistan unit of Islamic State, was killed in airstrike in Afghanistan. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Editorial suggests meeting in Pakistan between Afghan government and Taliban may prove vital first step toward peace, but holds much remains to be done before reconciliation can be achieved; asserts it is important that delegations hold to agreement to convene again for formal peace talks; says process will need support of Pakistan, China and United States, as well as factions not included in initial talk; contends cease fire during festival of Eid al-Fitr would be positive sign. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Afghan officials declare that initial talks with Taliban insurgents in Pakistan were authorized by Taliban's deputy leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour; comments add to conjecture there are growing differences among Taliban leaders over desirability of attempts to negotiate peace in Afghanistan. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

American drone strike in eastern Afghanistan kills two senior Pakistani militants who pledged allegiance to Islamic State. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

Peace talks arranged by Pakistani officials between Afghan government and Taliban end with agreement to meet again, raising hope that end to Taliban revolt in Afghanistan is underway; optimism from Murree meeting gives rare political win to Afghan Pres Ashraf Ghani who maintains there could be no peace without help of Pakistan, and was criticized for effort. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Taliban kills one Afghan soldier and wounds at least five others in two attacks on NATO and Afghan forces in Kabul. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Afghan and Taliban officials meet for first time, in significant step toward possibility of opening formal peace negotiations. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Investigation by 11-person board of NATO officals into violent clash between American soldiers and citizens in Kabul, Afghanistan, finds American troops acted with considerable restraint, even after one of them was stabbed. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Afghan security forces confronting Taliban in Wardak Province sustain heavy losses, with estimates of 16 to 30 members of Afghan Local Police killed; outcome brings accusations that army's response was slow and ineffective. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Doctors Without Borders reports that Afghan military commandos raided and searched one of its main trauma hospitals in country's northeast and calls raid breach of Geneva Conventions; Afghan officials deny Afghan military's involvement. MORE

Jul. 3, 2015

Afghan court reduces death sentences of four men who brutally murdered religious scholar named Farkhunda, who was falsely accused of burning Quran, to term of 20 years in prison; Farkunda's advocates blame political meddling for court's decision. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

American military convoy survives suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, only to face second wave of danger from crowd that accuses soldiers of firing on them; episode leaves one soldier wounded and highlights lingering frustration with American troops in country. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Demonstrators in northern Afghanistan block highway in protest of raid on village by American troops; raid, which destroyed weapons depot of local strongman, shows that American military is far more engaged in fighting than publicly stated advisory role and still sees significant threat in militants not tied to Al Qaeda or Taliban. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

Afghan Pres Ashraf Ghani appoints Seema Joyenda as provincial governor of Ghor Province, marking his second appointment of a woman to such a post; Joyenda, like predecessor who has so far been unable to take office, is likely to face fierce opposition and protests. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Taliban attacks Afghan Parliament with car bomb at gates followed by gunmen attempting to enter building; attack kills at least two bystanders but no lawmakers are seriously injured. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Taliban insurgents say they are on verge of taking city of Kunduz, Afghanistan, raising alarms, but Afghan government denies assertion; dispute highlights inflated claims made by both government and insurgents; developments, if confirmed, would represent first time in 2015 major city center in Afghanistan has been threatened by Taliban. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Memo from Afghanistan; Taliban representatives have been softening their hard-line stance and negotiating with factions all over Afghanistan, except for government of Pres Ashraf Ghani; talks, combined with Taliban's continued efforts to assume control of more territories, outline two-pronged effort in which insurgents are seeking to take advantage of weak government while negotiating with everyone else. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

Afghan Pres Ashraf Ghani decrees that Parliament's term will be extended as no elections have been scheduled and there has been no agreement in fragile coalition government about how to hold them; international donors have said previously that financing for new elections will be withheld due to disagreement over elections. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Taliban members take over part of crucial area in southern Afghanistan province of Helmand, showing their rising power in part of country American and British troops had battled to keep out of Taliban control. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

Former Afghan Pres Hamid Karzai says he will not seek election in 2019 and that he is no longer involved in country's politics or government; declines to publicly express opinion of coalition government under Pres Ashraf Ghani, despite clear differences on major issues. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Jun. 9, 2015

Documentary film Every Last Child tells story of health workers' efforts to distribute polio vaccine in Pakistan and Afghanistan against opposition of Taliban and religious extremists; countries remain last strongholds of disease that has been eliminated in other parts of world. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Taliban fighters overtake Yamgan District in northeastern Afghanistan, area where government's influence has flagged. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Islamic State militants are seizing territory in Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan and in one district have replaced it as dominant insurgent power; ISIS only controls several remote villages, but Taliban, as it moves against Western-backed government, is forced to deal with insurgent threat of its own. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

May. 31, 2015

Gen Abdul Raziq, police chief of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, known for keeping area relatively peaceful amid Taliban territory, is facing concerns over both his political future and his life; rumors are circulating that Pres Ashraf Ghani plans to replace Raziq, who has been accused of abuses, and Raziq believes government may be offering his life to Taliban insurgents as part of peace bargain. MORE

May. 27, 2015

Editorial observes Afghanistan has lagged extensively in its effort to tap estimated $1 trillion in mineral deposits; cites report showing that war-ravaged nation remains technically incapable of managing task on its own, despite $488 million in American aid toward infrastructure and skill development; calls for rigorous oversight and coordination as rest of American aid is spent. MORE

May. 26, 2015

Representatives of Afghan government and former members of country's old Taliban government attend meeting in China with hope of encouraging formal peace negotiations; meeting is organized by China as well as Pakistani officials, who both have interest in ending Afghanistan's 13-year civil war. MORE

May. 26, 2015

Taliban claims responsibility for truck bomb at government compound in Qalat, Afghanistan, that killed at least one person and injured more than 70. MORE

May. 25, 2015

Afghan government has resorted to forming local militias and courting assistance from old warlords as it seeks to beat back fierce Taliban offensive in northern Afghanistan; strategy raises anxieties related to nation's history of civil strife, and directly undermines assurances that security forces have been holding their own against Taliban. MORE

May. 15, 2015

May. 15, 2015

Memo From Afghanistan; Afghans look back at presidency of Hamid Karzai with surprising fondness as Pres Ashraf Ghani makes imperious decisions and struggles to complete functioning government. MORE

May. 14, 2015

Gunmen in Afghanistan kill five people, including an American, in attack on Kabul hotel that once housed staff members of United Nations; no group takes immediate responsibility, but Taliban is suspected of attack. MORE

May. 7, 2015

Afghan judge sentences four men to death for their part in mob killing of female student Farkhunda, who was falsely accused of burning a Quran in Kabul; also releases many of the 49 people charged in case, setting off protests; mixed outcome is unlikely to satisfy observers of trial. MORE

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Conflict in Afghanistan: From the Soviet Invasion to the Obama “Surge’'

1996 The Taliban take control of Afghanistan, imposing fundamentalist Islamic law. Osama bin Laden takes refuge in the country.

Sept. 2001 After the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush gives the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over bin Laden; the Taliban refuse, and in October the U.S. leads a campaign that drives the Taliban out of major Afghan cities by the end of the year.

2002 Hamid Karzai becomes interim president of Afghanistan. The Taliban continue to wage guerrilla warfare near the border with Pakistan.

2004 New constitution is ratified, making Afghanistan an Islamic state with a strong president. Later, Mr. Karzai wins the country’s first presidential election.